


We're More Than Friends

by s1lv3r



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Best Friends, Cute, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 15:23:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16621526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s1lv3r/pseuds/s1lv3r
Summary: Erik and Charles claim to be just friends. Are they?





	We're More Than Friends

The sun was high in the sky by the time Erik woke up. He groaned at the light assaulting his eyes, blinking rapidly to get rid of the sleep clouding his eyes. 

What day or time even was it? The last thing he remembered was collapsing into bed at 1am after coming home from an outing with his colleagues. His head was pounding as he sat up, a hangover in the making.

The smell of bacon was permeating his senses, causing his eyebrows to scrunch in confusion. Was someone cooking in his house? The last he checked, he lived alone. Did someone break into his house? That was the only plausible explanation, unless the bacon in his fridge had decided to cook itself. 

He was so busy evaluating his current situation that he didn’t notice the man standing at the doorway of his room.

“Morning, Erik. I see that you’re finally awake.” Charles calls out cherrily, holding a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. Erik’s head had whipped over the first moment he’d heard Charles’s voice, gaping at the other man.

“Charles? What are you doing here?” Erik muttered, blinking rapidly at Charles in confusion. Charles laughs, walking into the room and setting the cutlery down on his dressing table.

“Well, I wasn’t going to come over, but I had to after receiving multiple texts from you last night.” Charles replied, glancing meaningfully at the phone sitting innocently on the nightstand. Erik grimaces, already dreading reading whatever he’d said to Charles last night.

Erik and Charles had known each other since they were both little kids. If Erik was into the whole business of having friends, Charles would definitely be the only one who fit into that category. Since Erik was a hipster professor who only had acquaintances, Charles would be his closest acquaintance.

Charles had stuck with him through all his embarrassing phases, from Emo Erik to Edgy Erik, and still stuck by him till this day. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had embarrassed himself yesterday, and only thanked the gods that at least his embarrassing texts were sent to someone who was used to them already.

“So, you decided to come over and bail me out of this hangover?” Erik asked, taking the glass of water and gulping it down gratefully. The liquid ran down his parched throat and he groaned a little. Charles sat down beside him and rubbed his back in sympathy. 

“Yup! As your self-proclaimed best friend, I am here to ensure that you have a wonderful birthday.” Charles grins at Erik. “Oh! And also because you worried me a ton yesterday.” Charles continues, frowning slightly.

Oh yes. Today was Erik’s birthday. That was why he was out with his colleagues yesterday. They had found out that it was his 35st birthday yesterday, and insisted on taking him out drinking to celebrate. 

He groans again as pain erupted in his head, as though his body was punishing him for his transgressions yesterday. Charles cooed at him like a baby, and he turned to glare at his best friend.

To be perfectly honest, Erik wished that Charles wasn’t just his best friend. He was manly enough to admit that he’d had a thing for the blue-eyed, drop-dead gorgeous man in front of him. Charles was definitely straight though, since the man hadn’t shown an interest in dating Erik.

For the time being, he put his thoughts aside as he came to focus on the present, to find Charles looking at him expectedly. Erik raised an eyebrow and Charles sighed, realising that Erik hadn’t heard a single word of what he said.

“It’s your birthday. We can’t spend the day just sitting in here. Is there anything you want to do, or can I decide the itinerary today?” Charles grinned, bouncing in his seat. It was obvious by his excitement that he had already planned some things, and Erik decided to let him have his fun for once.

“What do you have planned for us today?” He asks, picking up his breakfast. He practically inhaled the eggs and bacon, which were a good start to remedying his hangover induced headache.

“Well, I was thinking that we could visit the animal shelter, then have lunch together, before going shopping!” Charles rambled on excitedly, listing off the things on his fingers while he watched Erik consume his breakfast. Erik raised an eyebrow at the things that Charles said.

“It sounds like we’re doing the things that you enjoy. Are we sure that we’re celebrating my birthday, not yours?” Erik comments, a small smile filling his face when Charles pouts at him.

“Well, you like doing those things too! And.. you like to see me happy, don’t you?” Charles replies cheekily, sticking his tongue out at Erik. Erik can’t help the blush that fills his face at that, even as he coughs and looks away.

It was true. He loved to see Charles’s smile, even more if he himself was the cause of it. When Charles smiled, it was like the world lit up in an array of dazzling colours, never failing to erase any thoughts in Erik’s mind. He was so deep into his musing that he didn’t notice the smile of amusement that Charles sent his way.

Finally, Erik clears his throat and nodded, putting the empty plate onto the nightstand as he stands up as stretches. If they were going to go out, Erik had to go get dressed. He took his shirt off, and was about to do the same with his boxers when he noticed that Charles was still in the same room as him, gaping.

“Uh… Charles? I need to change. Unless you want to be flashed by Erik Jr, I suggest you clear the premises right away.” Erik raises an eyebrow at the man. This time, it was Charles’s turn to blush, as he picked up the plate and hurried from the room, much to Erik’s amusement.

In a few short minutes, Erik had changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and a loose white shirt. Swinging his leather jacket over his shoulders, he looked himself in the mirror. He looked good. He looked casual, but could probably enter one of those establishments that Charles loved to eat at. Charles was one fancy person.

Opening up the door, he found his best friend sitting on the couch, swiping through his phone with a fierce intensity. He creeps up behind him, leaning over the couch to see what Charles was doing, only to have Charles jump up and pocket his phone immediately. 

“What are you hiding from me?” He asks with a raised eyebrow. He’d known his best friend for years, and this was one of the many tells that Charles had when he was lying. He scrupulously looked over Charles’s outfit of a thin sweater and tight jeans (that hugged his ass perfectly). It looked amazing on him, but was definitely not enough to combat the cold. Despite it being the tail end of january, it was still incredibly cold in New York.

“Absolutely nothing! You’re reading too much into things! Since you’re dressed, let’s go! Time doesn’t wait for anyone or anything!” Charles grinned as he stood up, dragging Erik with him. Another one of Charles’s tells was his ability to switch the conversation to anything else. Erik’s eyes narrowed, but he let Charles get away with it.

“Fine. I’ll believe you for now. Let’s go, then.” Erik replies, grabbing another of his leather jackets and placing it over Charles’s shoulders with a soft blush. He shouldn’t feel this happy having Charles wear his clothes, but here he was, practically fangirling like a highschool girl.

Charles smiled softly up at him, tugging the jacket tighter around his shoulders as he slipped into it. Erik opened the door and ushered Charles out, making sure to lock the door behind him. The two of them step onto the cold streets, and Erik applauded himself for his forethought, since he could see Charles’s shivering already, even with the leather jacket. 

The both of them quickly stepped into Charles’s car, and blasted the heat. Although it was Charles’s car, Erik was the one driving it. He didn’t trust Charles to not crash it in excitement. They hadn’t been to the animal shelter in some time, and he knew that Charles was really excited to get there as soon as possible.

It seems as though time flew whenever Charles was around, because before he knew it, they had reached the animal shelter. They’d joked and playfully ribbed each other the entire journey there, and Erik could feel a permanent smile form on his face, a phenomenon that only seemed to occur whenever Charles was around. 

The lady at the counter had recognized them from their previous volunteer stint, and let them in without a fuss. Immediately, Charles gravitated towards the section of the building where they housed the dogs, dragging Erik along with him. 

Erik could feel heat rise in his cheeks at the tight grip at Charles had on his hand. At some point in them, they had laced their fingers together, and were practically wandering these hallways like they were a dating couple. 

After spending a good hour oohing and aahing over the new additions to the shelter, they left, their hands somehow still laced together. The lady at the counter had looked at their joined hands, and had offered her congratulations, much to Erik’s embarrassment and Charles’s confusion.

Soon, they were on their way to their favourite lunch spot, an italian restaurant where they had both frequented in their university years. The owners had instantly recognized them the moment they had stepped through the doors, and they were given a private seat near the windows where they could have a nice view of the streets outside. 

Erik had raised an eyebrow at the pink candle in the middle of the table when they approached it, and the owners had merely grinned at him. He sat down at table in confusion, feeling a flush of disappointment when he had to let go to Charles’s hand to sit opposite of him.

“What’s up with all the tacky decorations?” He asked Charles, glancing at the hearts hanging from the ceiling and the pink balloons decorating the place. Charles thinks for a second before replying.

“Of course you would forget. Valentines is coming soon. I’d expect that all these decorations are for that special day.” He says, rubbing his hands to warm them up. Even though the walk from the car to the restaurant had been rather short, Charles had still gotten cold. 

“Right. Well, let’s order. I’m famished.” Erik replied lamely, not really knowing how to reply to the fact that Valentines was coming soon. Another Valentines day, another year where he would be alone. He didn’t have a lack of admirers, but he only wanted to spend the day with one person who didn’t want to spend the day with him. 

Again, time passed at the speed of light, their lunch filled with laughter as they joked around with one another. The food was delicious, as always. Erik even managed to score a plate of free dessert when Charles had cheerfully informed the owners that it was Erik’s birthday.  
Soon, they left after Charles paid for lunch, much to Erik’s chagrin. He was a grown adult, and could pay for his own meals, thank you very much. But Charles had insisted, and Erik had finally agreed after an intense staring match that left many, many butterflies in his stomach.

As agreed before, they had decided to go shopping. Once again, he and Charles were holding hands, since the latter had complained constantly of cold hands. Erik was pretty sure that the heat hadn’t left his cheeks, although he was slightly mollified since Charles looked to have the same problem.

Erik had to admit that Charles was like an over excited boy when it came to shopping, pulling Erik from store to store whenever something caught his eye. In the span of 2 hours, he seemed to have seen things ranging from clothes, to glasses, to even flowers.

“I wish someone would buy me flowers.” Charles sighed, looking longingly at the roses on display.

“Well, why don’t you get them for yourself?” Erik asked, raising an eyebrow. It was unlike Charles to be shy about buying things for himself, and he didn’t think that a simple rose would stop him.

“Well, it’s embarrassing! I don’t want to buy one for myself! I’ll seem so sad, lonely and pathetically single.” Charles whined slightly, sighing before beginning to drag Erik off to another store.

“I’m sure someone would love to buy you roses one day, Charles.” Erik mutters softly under his breath, following along with Charles. 

After what felt like an eternity of shopping, they were finally done. Erik’s arms were loaded with shopping bags, since he’d so gallantly offered to hold them for Charles while he shopped. Technically, half of the bags were filled with things for him, that were presents from Charles, so he really couldn’t complain too much.

“Where to next?” Erik asked, his stomach growling loudly. Charles laughed, nodding at his stomach in acknowledgement.

“Let’s go get dinner. Although… this time I drive. I have a surprise for you.” Charles grinned, taking some of the bags from Erik so that he could lace their fingers together again. It felt domestic in a way, and Erik’s blush returned with a vengeance. 

“Alright. I hope we’re going somewhere nice, because I am about to starve to death.” Erik groans, racing down the street when he finally spotted the car. He places the bags down at the back before slipping into the passenger seat for the first time today.

He leaned his head against the window as Charles drove, a comfortable silence filling the space between them. Charles was a rather calm driver, even when the traffic became rough due to the late hour. Just as Erik thought that he was going to pass out from hunger, they arrived at a restaurant, one that Erik recognised.

“Holy shit. Is this Joel Robuchon?” Erik asks, his jaw dropping as he takes in the sight of the imposing building. Charles nods sagely, handing the keys to the car to a valet as he exited the car.

“Yup! We have reservations, so we better get going.” He grins, slipping his hands into his pockets as they both walk into the lobby of the building, where they were greeted by the host.

“I can’t afford to eat here, Charles. The tasting menu itself is like… $1000!” Erik exclaims, his eyes wide as he begins to think about how much money he had left in the bank.

“Don’t be silly, Erik. I’m paying today.” Charles’s tone of voice left no room for argument, and Erik could only dumbly follow Charles. The host led them to a private booth deep inside the restaurant. 

“Have a seat, Mr and Mr Xavier. The first course will be served shortly.” The man nods at the both of them, pulling out their seats for them. Charles barks up a short laughter at that, glancing at Erik before addressing their host.

“We’re just friends. I’m Mr Xavier, and he’s Mr Lehnsherr.” Charles politely informed the man, and the man nodded, although it was rather obvious that he didn’t believe him.

Erik sat down with a sense of wonder, looking around him. He turned to Charles only to see that the man was already looking at him. Any words that had formed promptly died in his mouth at the intensity at which Charles was staring at him. The soft candlelight lit up Charles’s face with a glow that made him look heavenly, and Erik couldn’t help but be enraptured by that. A strand of hair was in Charles’s eyes, and Erik found himself reaching up to brush the strand of hair behind of Charles’s ear.

He’s about to remove his hand from Charles’s face when the man grabs onto his hand, covering it with his own. Erik’s confused, but let’s Charles do what he wants, especially when he nuzzles into Erik’s hand slightly. Their eyes are drawn to one another, and slowly, they move closer.

It’s as though they gravitate towards each other, and Erik could make poems out of how attracted they are to each other, but now, his attention is fully on Charles. He can hear footsteps approaching them, and he doesn’t want that to break the moment, so he takes matters into his own hands and breaks it himself.

By kissing Charles, of course. Normal people would’ve probably let go, but Erik is no normal person, and he pulls Charles towards him, sealing their mouths together in a hot kiss. The footsteps stop instantly and Erik pulls back, glancing at Charles with wide eyes.

Despite Erik’s best efforts, their moment is still interrupted.

“Sirs. Here is your first course, Mr and Mr Xavier.” Their host obviously doesn’t believe that they’re just friends after that kiss, and quitely frankly, Erik doesn’t want to be just friends either. 

“Thank you.” Charles replied simply, and doesn’t bother to correct the host. Perhaps it’s a sign that he wants things to change, even as they smile bashfully at each other.

“And they say that they’re just friends. Yeah right. As if friends kiss each other.” Erik gapes when he overhears the servers talking about them, blushing to the tip of his ears, and he glances at Charles across the table, only to find a matching blush.

Indeed, Charles gets his wish fulfilled 14 days later, when he wakes up to a room full of roses. It’s 99 roses to be exact, or so Erik says before Charles pulls him into a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> finally writing after so long! drop some reviews for me! they'll be much appreciated :) this work doesn't have a beta, so any and all mistakes are my own!


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